Arncliffe vs Rockdale

In Arncliffe, most households own their home and about half of homes are flats or apartments. In Rockdale, about half of households rent and most homes are flats or apartments.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Arncliffe

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 6)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (40% vs 24%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rockdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($460/wk vs $500/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Rockdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (22% vs 11%)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Rockdale

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 4)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (76% vs 60%)
  • But Arncliffe carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 68/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Arncliffe

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (13.5% vs -0.4%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.1% vs 2.5%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Arncliffe and Rockdale drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Arncliffe Rockdale
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Arncliffe Rockdale
Walkability 96 / 96
Arncliffe — Walkability: 96/100 Rockdale — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 53 / 32
Arncliffe — Safety: 53/100 Rockdale — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Arncliffe — Low fire risk: 100/100 Rockdale — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Rockdale has more residents (15,475 vs 12,023).

Arncliffe Rockdale
Population 12,023 15,475
+29% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.5% -0.4%
Median age 34
same for both
Median household income $106,392/yr
+7% vs other
 $99,112/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+8% vs other
 $460/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Arncliffe Rockdale
0-4 6.0% / 5.9%
Arncliffe — 0-4: 6.0% Rockdale — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 9.7% / 7.8%
Arncliffe — 5-14: 9.7% Rockdale — 5-14: 7.8%
15-19 4.6% / 3.3%
Arncliffe — 15-19: 4.6% Rockdale — 15-19: 3.3%
20-24 7.2% / 9.9%
Arncliffe — 20-24: 7.2% Rockdale — 20-24: 9.9%
25-34 23.7% / 24.9%
Arncliffe — 25-34: 23.7% Rockdale — 25-34: 24.9%
35-44 16.0% / 16.7%
Arncliffe — 35-44: 16.0% Rockdale — 35-44: 16.7%
45-54 11.0% / 10.1%
Arncliffe — 45-54: 11.0% Rockdale — 45-54: 10.1%
55-64 9.1% / 9.2%
Arncliffe — 55-64: 9.1% Rockdale — 55-64: 9.2%
65-74 6.4% / 6.7%
Arncliffe — 65-74: 6.4% Rockdale — 65-74: 6.7%
75-84 4.3% / 3.9%
Arncliffe — 75-84: 4.3% Rockdale — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ 2.0% / 1.7%
Arncliffe — 85+: 2.0% Rockdale — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Arncliffe 43.0% couple families
Arncliffe — Couple Families: 43.0% Arncliffe — Lone Person: 29.9% Arncliffe — One Parent Families: 15.2% Arncliffe — Group Household: 9.5% Arncliffe — Other Families: 2.4%
Rockdale 39.2% couple families
Rockdale — Couple Families: 39.2% Rockdale — Lone Person: 31.9% Rockdale — One Parent Families: 12.8% Rockdale — Group Household: 13.1% Rockdale — Other Families: 3.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Arncliffe 41.9% renting
Arncliffe — Owned Outright: 24.8% Arncliffe — Mortgage: 33.3% Arncliffe — Renting: 41.9%
Rockdale 48.6% renting
Rockdale — Owned Outright: 23.1% Rockdale — Mortgage: 28.3% Rockdale — Renting: 48.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Arncliffe Rockdale
Bachelor Degree 19.0% / 20.7%
Arncliffe — Bachelor Degree: 19.0% Rockdale — Bachelor Degree: 20.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 9.7%
Arncliffe — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Rockdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7%
Postgraduate Degree 7.8% / 9.3%
Arncliffe — Postgraduate Degree: 7.8% Rockdale — Postgraduate Degree: 9.3%
Certificate III & IV 7.7% / 7.0%
Arncliffe — Certificate III & IV: 7.7% Rockdale — Certificate III & IV: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.3%
Arncliffe — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Rockdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Arncliffe Rockdale
Nepal — / 15.8%
Arncliffe — Nepal: not among its largest Rockdale — Nepal: 15.8%
China 5.9% / 6.5%
Arncliffe — China: 5.9% Rockdale — China: 6.5%
Lebanon 5.7% / 1.8%
Arncliffe — Lebanon: 5.7% Rockdale — Lebanon: 1.8%
Philippines 2.1% / 3.2%
Arncliffe — Philippines: 2.1% Rockdale — Philippines: 3.2%
Bangladesh — / 3.4%
Arncliffe — Bangladesh: not among its largest Rockdale — Bangladesh: 3.4%
India — / 3.0%
Arncliffe — India: not among its largest Rockdale — India: 3.0%
Vietnam 1.6% / 1.3%
Arncliffe — Vietnam: 1.6% Rockdale — Vietnam: 1.3%
New Zealand 1.4% / —
Arncliffe — New Zealand: 1.4% Rockdale — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Arncliffe 49.2% flats / apartments
Arncliffe — Flats / Apartments: 49.2% Arncliffe — Houses: 40.0% Arncliffe — Townhouses: 10.7%
Rockdale 71.7% flats / apartments
Rockdale — Flats / Apartments: 71.7% Rockdale — Houses: 24.3% Rockdale — Townhouses: 4.0%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Arncliffe Rockdale
Median house price $1,850,000 $1,837,500
Median unit price $770,000 $720,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 70 sales
 24 days
from 51 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Arncliffe Rockdale
1 bed $605K / $560K
Arncliffe — 1 bed: $605K (24 sales) Rockdale — 1 bed: $560K (38 sales)

24 vs 38 sales

2 bed $782K / $735K
Arncliffe — 2 bed: $782K (92 sales) Rockdale — 2 bed: $735K (215 sales)

92 vs 215 sales

3 bed $953K / $913K
Arncliffe — 3 bed: $953K (12 sales) Rockdale — 3 bed: $913K (15 sales)

12 vs 15 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Arncliffe Rockdale
2 bed $1.49M / $1.5M
Arncliffe — 2 bed: $1.49M (11 sales) Rockdale — 2 bed: $1.5M (7 sales)

11 vs 7 sales

3 bed $1.75M / $1.68M
Arncliffe — 3 bed: $1.75M (39 sales) Rockdale — 3 bed: $1.68M (20 sales)

39 vs 20 sales

4 bed $2.15M / $2M
Arncliffe — 4 bed: $2.15M (25 sales) Rockdale — 4 bed: $2M (18 sales)

25 vs 18 sales

5 bed $2.4M / $2.25M
Arncliffe — 5 bed: $2.4M (9 sales) Rockdale — 5 bed: $2.25M (5 sales)

9 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Arncliffe Rockdale
Residential 57% 61%
Other and special use 17% 0%
Parks and recreation 6% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 12%
Industrial 2% 10%
Commercial 5%
same for both
Environmental 2% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Arncliffe Rockdale
New dwellings approved 857
across Bayside (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +98%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Arncliffe Rockdale
Houses 3.1%
$950/wk on $1.6M
 2.5%
$850/wk on $1.8M
Units 5.2%
$750/wk on $750K
 5.5%
$728/wk on $685K

Ranking within NSW

Arncliffe Rockdale
House price Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Income Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Schools Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 2% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 24% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 6% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW

Liveability

Arncliffe scores higher overall (70 vs 57).

Arncliffe Rockdale
Grade A B
Score 70/100 57/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Rockdale carries more crime risk (68 vs 47).

Arncliffe Rockdale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
47/100
 Moderate
68/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Arncliffe Rockdale
Inside the suburb 5 4
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 2
same for both
Rated below peers 2 1
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 6.5 km
 3
The University of Sydney, 8.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.5% 3.8%

Schools in Arncliffe

  • Kingdom Culture Christian School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Al Zahra College Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Francis Xavier's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Arncliffe Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Athelstane Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Rockdale

  • Rockdale Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • St Dominic Savio School Independent · Primary below peers
  • St Mary and St Mina's Coptic Orthodox College, Rockdale campus Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Arncliffe Rockdale
Supermarkets 1 6
Cafes & restaurants 7 19
Parks & reserves 10 6
Childcare 11 9
GPs 4 7
Pharmacies 4 5
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Fuel stations 2 5
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Arncliffe Rockdale
Walkability score 96/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 16.4 km 17.3 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 20 min 23 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 74.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 244.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 2205
 0.9%
postcode 2216
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 8
postcode 2205
 10
postcode 2216

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Arncliffe Rockdale
Worked from Home 43.9% / 31.7%
Arncliffe — Worked from Home: 43.9% Rockdale — Worked from Home: 31.7%
Car (driver) 38.0% / 35.6%
Arncliffe — Car (driver): 38.0% Rockdale — Car (driver): 35.6%
Train 11.3% / 22.4%
Arncliffe — Train: 11.3% Rockdale — Train: 22.4%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 3.4%
Arncliffe — Car (passenger): 4.1% Rockdale — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Walked Only 1.7% / 3.9%
Arncliffe — Walked Only: 1.7% Rockdale — Walked Only: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (43.9%).

Setting

Arncliffe Rockdale
Elevation 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.0 km 1.7 km

NBN connectivity

Arncliffe Rockdale
Connectivity score 86/100 79/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 44%
4,997 premises
 23%
7,527 premises

Climate

Arncliffe Rockdale
Annual rainfall 1,129 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Arncliffe Rockdale
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.79 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Arncliffe Rockdale
Average residential rate $1,217/yr
same for both
Council Bayside (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Arncliffe Rockdale
Division Barton
same for both
Member Ash Ambihaipahar
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Arncliffe Rockdale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Arncliffe

Apartments Coastal Gentrifying Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Urban

Rockdale

Apartments Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks River Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Arncliffe

Arncliffe vs Mascot Arncliffe vs Bexley Arncliffe vs Wolli Creek Arncliffe vs Tempe Arncliffe vs Banksia Arncliffe vs Turrella

Other comparisons with Rockdale

Rockdale vs Bexley Rockdale vs Kogarah Rockdale vs Brighton-Le-Sands Rockdale vs Monterey Rockdale vs Banksia Rockdale vs Kyeemagh
Full data on Arncliffe Full data on Rockdale
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or